Devices for facilitating the manual transportation or porterage of luggage



y 1958 T. R. SNEYD-KYNNE LEY 2,845,155

DEVICES FOR FACILITATING THE MAN TRANSPORATION 0R P ERAGE 0F LUGGAGE FiFeb. 9. 195a Figure 1, 10 denotes a suitcase.

United States Patent ()7 DEVICES FOR FACILITATING THE MANUALTRANSPORTATION R PORTERAGE OF LUGGAGE Thomas Ralph Sneyd-Kynnersley,Mayfield, England Application February 9, 1956, Serial No. 564,602

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 11, 1955 4 Claims.(Cl. 190-57)v -This invention relates to devices for facilitating themanual transportation or porterage of suitcases and simi lar articles ofluggage and more particularly to such devices of the kind comprising awheeled carrier adapted to be afiixed at one edge or corner of asuitcase or the like and a handle assembly which is adapted to beapplied at or in the region of a diagonally opposite edge or corner ofsaid suitcase or the like, the carrier and the handle assembly "beingsecured in position by means of a. retainingv strap or the like which ispassed completely around the suitcase or the like.

It is the chief object of the invention in a device of the kindindicated to provide a new and improved handle assembly which is cheaperto manufacture than the handle assembly hitherto employed, but whichdoes not result in any lowering in the efiiciency of the device as awhole.

According to the present invention a handle assembly for incorporationin a device of the kind referred to comprises a flexible or pliable pador the like of rubber or other similar material which is adapted to bethreaded on to the strap and on application of the device to a suitcaseor the like to be positioned at that corner of the latter diagonallyopposite that at which the wheeled carrier is app-lied and a handle orgrip element is also adapted to be threaded on to the strap and to bepositioned, so that one end thereof is in contact with or closelyadjacent to the pad or the like, the arrangement being such that withthe device applied to a suitcase or the like and the handle or gripelement manipulated to tilt the latter so that the weight thereof willbe supported on the wheeled carrier, said one end of the handle or gripelement will engage and seat firmly on the pad and said element willtilt or pivot about such end, thereby to apply additional tension to thestrap. Preferably, the handle or grip element is hollow, comprising alength of tubing formed for example of plastic'm-aterial such aspolythene and shaped to simulate a conventional suitcase handle or gripelement.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into elfect the same will be herematter more fully describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View showing a suitcase to which aporterage device has been applied, such device comprising a wheeledcarrier and a handle assembly which are secured in position by means ofa strap extending around the suitcase.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view on a larger scale showing the handleassembly.

Figure 3 is an end view looking from the right of Figure 2.

'Figure 4 is a perspective view of the handle assembly including anadditional element which may or may not form a part of the equipment.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Located at onecorner of the suitcase is a wheeled carrier 11 While a handle assembly12 is applied at the diagonally opposite corner, said carrier andassembly being secured in position on the pad firmly in position.

2 suitcase by means of a strap 13 which is passed completely around thecase. It will be appreciated that with the wheels of the carrier 11 incontact with the ground and the suitcase tilted as shown the weight ofthe suitcase will be supported on the wheels and. it will be readilypossible by means of the handle to wheel the case along.

Referring now toFigures 2 and 3 it will be seen that the handle assemblycomprises a handle or grip element 14 which conveniently consists of alength: of tubing formed for example of thermoplastic material such aspolythene, As indicated the handle or grip element is preferably ofslightly bowed or arcu-ate shape, so that it will conform substantiallyto the shape of a conventional suitcase handle. As indicated at 15 and1-6 the ends of the handle or grip element are appropriately angled fora purpose, hereinafter made apparent. In addition to the handle or gripelement 14 a flexible or pliable pad 17 of rubber or other similarfriction gripping material is provided, such pad being so dimensionedthat it will extend aro nd. the; edgeor cornerportion of an suitcaseorthlik to whi ity is applied. The. pad 17 is formed. with tw s ot hich aresp ced apart rel i ely to; each ther. and are adapted to allow the strap11 to h hreeded therethl'ough the. arr ngement being uch that 9 assemblyone end of the strap 13 is threaded through one of the slots in theflexible or pliable pad 17 passingfrom the upper or outer side of thelatter to the under or in side face and thence through the second slotagain to the upper or outer side, whereafter it is passed through thehollow handle or grip element 14.

As shown in Figure 1 when the device is applied to a suitcase thewheeled carrier 11 is positioned at one corner of the latter and the pad17 at the diagonally opposite corner, the strap 13 being passedcompletely around the case and thereafter tightened to secure saidcarrier and The arrangement is such that when the user grips the handleor grip element 14 to tilt the suitcase so that the weight of the latterwill be taken on the wheeled carrier, said handle or grip element willbe pulled outwardly relatively to the case, pivoting or tilting aboutthat end thereof which rests upon or abuts against the pad 17. By reasonof the nature of the pad 17 and the particularly obtuse angled end 16 ofthe handle or grip element (see angle A, Fig. 2) the latter will, whenin its operative position, seat firmly on said pad so that tendency toundersired sideways angular movement will be substantially obviated.Further the outward pivoting or tilting movement of the handle or gripelement 14 will result in increased tensioning of the strap 13, so thatany tendency for the latter to slip from the case will be obviated.Finally, by reason of its inherent flexibility, the pad 17 will fitsnugly around the corner of any suitcase or the like whether it berounded or angled and will thus provide a firm seating for the handleassembly.

While for reasons of cheapness it is preferable to form the handle orgrip element of plastic material it is to be understood that it may bemade of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material.

In order positively to prevent any tendency to sideways angular movementof the handle and also positively to hold the same in an operativeposition it is proposed to provide an element of the kind shown includedin Figure 4. Such element, which is designated generally by 18 and isconveniently formed of stout wire, is triangularly formed with a widebase 19 and with a reduced portion or neck 20 which latter is sodimensioned as to be capable of being introduced into the end 15 of thehandle or grip element 14. The end 15 of the handle or grip element isconveniently slightly flattened the arrangement being such that thereduced portion or neck 20 of the element 18 will fit relatively firmlytherein. As is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 when the 3. element18 is employed it is introduced under the strap 13 and the reducedportion or neck 20 is inserted into the end of the handle or gripelement 14. With the element 18 in position the base 19 thereof willseat stably on the end of the suitcase and that element will form arigid strut or stay which will positively prevent undesired lateraltilting or angular movement of the handle or grip element and willmoreover positively maintain the latter in its operative position sothat the maximum tension will be exerted on the strap 13 at all times.The addition of the element 18 is entirely an optional feature since thehandle assembly will infact operate entirely satisfactorily without it.

I claim:

1. An assembly for transportation of luggage for use with a wheeledcarrier applied to and supporting one edge of the luggage, thecombination comprising a strap circumventing said luggage such that thestrap passes over the supported edge and edges parallel thereto, aflexible and resilient pad applied to the edge diagonally opposed to thesupported edge, said pad defining an opening through which said strap isthreaded, an oblong handle member for applying tension to said strap andhaving one end bearing and pivoting on said pad, said handle memberdefining a longitudinal opening through which said strap is threaded,the end of said handle member being shaped to seat firmly on said padwhen the handle strap engaging means is angularly disposed with 4.respect to the surface of the luggage and tension is applied to saidstrap.

2. A handle assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said handle memberdefines a hollow tubular member through which said strap is adapted topass, and wherein the end of said tubular member is disposed at anobtuse angle to insure firm engagement between said pad and said handlewhen the handle is in its operative position. 1

3. A handle assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a strutelement extending between the end of said handle member remote from thepad engaging end and the luggage being transported, and means on saidhandle member rigidly engaging with said strut, said strut elementfurther being approximately triangularly shaped and including a basepart bearing on the luggage to prevent lateral pivoting movement of saidhandle when in use.

4. A handle assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the handle member istubular, and flattened at the end remote from said pad engaging end, andwherein said strut element comprises means insertible within the tubeportion of said handle member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

